Erlotinib is an orally administered quinazoline derivative that targets and inhibits the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase enzyme, thereby disrupting signalling pathways that encourage cell growth and inhibit apoptosis. There is evidence of in-vitro and cell tissue studies but no human studies that I could discover of this drug effective alone against pancratic cancer. Studies have been in combination with other drugs and in fact, it may not be effective alone.
There is a phase II study ongoing: Phase II Trial of Erlotinib in Advanced Pancreatic Cancer, NCT00497224. This is an open-label, multi-center phase II study of erlotinib in patients with metastatic or locally advanced, unresectable pancreatic cancer who have received up to one line of gemcitabine based chemotherapy.
Laurent-Puig P, Taieb J.Lessons from Tarceva in pancreatic cancer: where are we now, and how should future trials be designed in pancreatic cancer?Curr Opin Oncol. 2008 Jul;20(4):454-8.
Dene Simpson, Lesley J Scott, Stuart NobleErlotinib: In Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
American Journal of Cancer, Vol. 5, No. 1. (2006), pp. 35-40.
Joshua W. Long, Donald J. Buchsbaum, Jeffery Sellers, Zhi Huang, Selwyn M. Vickers Erlotinib Reduces Flip Mediated Resistance to TRA-8 Agonistic TRAIL-R2 Antibody in Pancreatic Cancer Cells nd Journal of Surgical Research, Volume 144, Issue 2, February 2008, Pages 387
Comments